He could hear the Scots shouting and growing closer, but he ignored them. His father lay on his side with one arm outstretched as if reaching for his son and Donar wasn't moving. Stefan hurried back, knelt down, put his hand on his father's shoulder and then noticed the arrow sticking out of the middle of his father's back. Blood covered most of Donar's backside and was still trickling out of the jagged wound. "Nay, father," he whispered, but when he looked, the life was already gone from Donar's eyes.
He looked for his father's red and gold shield, but it was nowhere in sight. Then he thought to remove his father's sword and sheath, but he could hear the men's shouts getting louder, knew they were coming his way and his fear won out. Quickly, he lovingly touched his father's head, grabbed Donar's long handled, three-pronged spear, got up and ran back up the hill.
The Scots were getting closer but his long legs and youth gave him a slight advantage. In the small clearing at the top, he spotted a girl on a horse, put a finger to his lips, prayed she would not tell on him, and looked for a place to hide. The trees were too narrow and too far apart to conceal him and the only place he could find was a rock not quite large enough. He ran to it, crouched down and tried to slow his breathing. Soon he realized there was no place to hide the spear, so he tossed it away. Then, to his amazement, the girl positioned her horse between him and the Scots.
Two men with red hair and drawn swords burst through the trees and were surprised to see Kannak. They stopped to catch their breath for a moment and then looked around. "Did a Viking come this way, lassie?"
Kannak widened her eyes. "A Viking!" She quickly crossed herself. "May God protect us."
It was enough of an answer. One of the men muttered as he led the other one away, "I could have sworn I saw two."
She waited until she could no longer see or hear the Scots and motioned for the boy to come to her. She watched him recover his spear, climb up on the rock and then felt him mount behind her. A second later she urged the horse forward.
But they had only made it to another small clearing when Stefan slipped his legs under hers so she could not kick the side of the horse, pinned her arms with his free arm and said, "Stad."
The horse halted at the stranger's command and at first Kannak was only taken aback, but then she became frightened. The Viking was surprisingly strong and in her haste to solve her problem, she had not considered having to fight him.